Easy Fresh Cherry Tart Recipe Perfect for Brunch or Dessert

This fresh cherry tart recipe has been a favorite in my kitchen for years. It’s one of those recipes that looks fancy but is surprisingly simple to make – perfect whether you’re serving it for a weekend brunch or as an elegant dessert after dinner.

The secret? Puff pastry. This buttery, flaky pastry creates a golden “basket” that holds a sweet almond paste filling and gorgeous fresh cherries. And the best part is that puff pastry does most of the work for you.

If you don’t already keep puff pastry in your freezer, let me convince you to start. You’ll find it in the freezer section near the pie crusts and phyllo dough, and it’s a total game-changer for both sweet and savory recipes. It thaws quickly, bakes beautifully, and makes you look like a baking superstar with minimal effort.

There’s also another secret ingredient that gives this tart a lovely hint of almond flavor and a creamy filling.

Why You’ll Love This Cherry Tart

I’ve made this recipe dozens of times – I even taught it to adults and middle school students who nailed it on their first try. That’s how beginner-friendly it is. Every single time I serve this tart, I get rave reviews. It’s pretty enough for company, delicious enough to make on a random Tuesday, and uses just a handful of ingredients.

Plus, it’s incredibly versatile. You can adjust the size, swap in different seasonal fruits (think strawberries, blueberries, or peaches), and even bake it during dinner so it’s warm and ready to serve for dessert.

If you’re catching the tail end of cherry season or just picked up a beautiful batch at the farmers market, this is the perfect way to show them off.

In addition to being easy to make, it’s pretty to serve, really delicious, and uses just a few ingredients. You can make the tarts in different sizes, with a variety of seasonal fruits (See the FREE PRINTABLE CHART BELOW.). They can be baked during dinner to be enjoyed afterward as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Sweetened whipped cream works well, too.

Ingredients for the Cherry Tart

You only need a few ingredients to make this impressive dish.

• 1 package puff pastry
• 1 tube almond paste – the other scret ingredient
• 1 egg
• fresh cherries or other fruit
• a little bit of sugar
• apricot jam — for that glossy finish

A Little Bit about Puff Pastry

If you’ve never worked with puff pastry before, let me give you a quick rundown – it’s easier than you think, and it’s about to become your new favorite ingredient.

Puff pastry is what’s called a laminated dough, which is just a fancy way of saying it has hundreds of thin layers of dough and butter folded together. Back in my culinary school days, I had to make this from scratch, and let me tell you – it’s a workout.

You fold cold butter into the dough over and over (about 6 to 8 times) using a rolling pin, being careful not to let the butter warm up or break through the dough. When it bakes, the moisture in the butter turns to steam, which makes all those layers puff up into golden, flaky perfection.

If you’ve ever enjoyed a croissant, a Napoleon, a palmier, or Beef Wellington, you’ve experienced the magic of puff pastry. It’s used in everything from cheese-wrapped appetizers (brie is especially delicious) to elegant desserts like this cherry tart.

The good news? You don’t have to make it from scratch. Store-bought puff pastry is readily available at your local grocery store and works beautifully.

Where to Find It

Head to the freezer section of your grocery store – you’ll find it near the pie crusts and phyllo dough. The most common brand is Pepperidge Farm, which is also my personal favorite. Each package contains two individually wrapped sheets.

Storage Tips

When you buy puff pastry, head straight home, if possible -you don’t want it to thaw in the car. Once home, keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. If you only need one sheet for a recipe, immediately return the other sheet to the freezer (either in the original packaging or wrapped in foil). Just be sure to label it so you know what it is later.

If you are not using the puff pastry right away, just leave it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, remove the box from the freezer.

In the package, two puff pastry sheets are individually wrapped. If you only need one sheet, immediately return the other sheet to the freezer, either in the original packaging or wrapped in foil. Be sure to label it.

Prepare the Puff Pastry for the Cherry Tart Recipe

Puff pastry comes folded into thirds, like a letter. It can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for about 40 minutes. The thawed sheets should still be cold.

NOTE: If you try to unfold the puff pastry while it’s still frozen, it will break along the crease lines. Be patient.

When the puff pastry is thawed, but still chilled, cut open the paper wrapper and pull out the folded dough. Place the folded dough on a lightly floured surface. Carefully open the puff pastry. You’ll see the folded lines.

WARNING: You can’t use puff pastry if it gets too warm. It becomes a hot mess that you can’t unfold. If you let it get too warm, return it to the refrigerator until it is chilled and then try to unfold it again. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, depending on how warm it was.

Depending on your particular recipe, you may just smooth out the lines with a rolling pin or actually roll out the puff pastry to a bigger rectangle. For this fresh cherry tart recipe, you just want to smooth out the folded lines.

Make Your Puff Pastry “Baskets”

With a utility or paring knife, cut the sheet of puff pastry into 4 squares. You can cut the squares into smaller sizes if you want a mini-tart. In that case, cut the puff pastry into 6 or 9 pieces, like a grid. The 6-grid baskets will be rectangles, but that doesn’t make a difference in the preparation.

Fold in the sides of the puff pastry square about 1/2 inch, creating a folded line. Next brush the insides of the folded sides with egg white wash. Fold up the sides again and pinch the corners with your fingers to create your basket.

TIP: egg whites are like the glue of the culinary world. Brushed on pastry dough, they also create a shiny surface.

Repeat with all your puff pastry squares.

The Filling for the Fresh Cherry Tart

The other ingredient for this tart that you may not be familiar with is almond paste, which is made from blanched ground almonds, sugar and a liquid. It is used in all sorts of sweet desserts. It comes packaged in a log shape, wrapped tightly in foil inside a paper foil package. It will be found on the grocery shelf, next to the marzipan in the baking aisle.

WARNING: You’ve heard of “squeeze the Charmin”? Well, squeeze the almond paste. It should be firm, but squeezable. If it feels hard, don’t buy it. If you get home with a package that is hard, place the unopened package in the microwave (the actual almond paste is wrapped in foil) for 2 or 3 seconds. Repeat until the almond paste is just squeezable.

Using a box grater, grate the almond paste into small crumbles.

TIP: wrap any unused almond paste tightly in foil and keep in the refrigerator. I’ve often just put it in the freezer to keep until I need it again. Let it thaw on the countertop.

Place your puff pastry baskets on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. A metal spatula works best for this step.

Sprinkle each square with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of the grated almond paste. Arrange your cherries on top, about 1/4 cup. Add another 1 tablespoon of almond paste and 1 teaspoon of sugar.

I happen to have some slivered almonds on hand, so I sprinkled some on top – totally optional.

Bake until golden brown in a 425˚F. oven, turning the baking sheet halfway through baking, for 15 – 20 minutes. Use a wide metal spatula to remove the tart to a cooling rack.

TIP: Make your tarts look like they are bake-shop worthy: melt a few tablespoons of apricot jam in the microwave, then brush it on the puff pastry with a pastry brush. This gives the tarts a glossy shine.

Serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream and garnish with a small sprig of mint.

I know that you’ll love this tart. There are several variations, based on the type of fruit you use. I have created a FREE PRINTABLE: Simple Guide to Fruit Tart Variations to help you.

For more delicious recipes like this, check out these Pinterest Boards:

Enjoy this delicious cherry tart. It’s yummy!